The Aiken County Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department hopes to gain some traction at several of its parks this summer as school winds down and summer nears.
North Augusta native Mark van der Linden, the County's Parks, Recreation and Tourism director, took on the task in 2013, just a few months before a Clemson University report came out that described the County's facilities and programs as "not of particularly good quality" and in "bad shape." The report pointed to a lack of brand identity, poor marketing and dissatisfaction of County parks and programs.
Since then, van der Linden said he has focused his energy on bringing the County's parks up to speed and up to the satisfaction of all County residents and visitors.
"We have used the tag line '#watchusgrow' on our social media pages, and that's exactly what we have been doing over the past two years," he said.
Van der Linden provided the Aiken Standard with updates and future plans for some of the County's main parks. Nearly 100 percent of the County's parks, recreation and tourism projects all have been funded by the Capital Project Sales Tax, or CPST, funds - not the general fund, he said.
Langley Pond Park
One of the main attractions in Aiken County is Langley Pond, a park that boasts an Olympic-sized pond fit for numerous water sport events.
Within the past two years, the County has doubled the park's parking lot, installed a boat dock, wood fencing and added a boat and horse area. The 2.8-mile Langley Pond Loop Trail opened to the public last year, stemming from a partnership between the Greater Aiken Integrated Trails Foundation, or GAIT, and Sam's Club.
" ... The tourism impact of the park and activities has resulted in millions of dollars of economic impact over the years, and has been awarded tourism grants because (it's unique)," van der Linden said.
A leak was found last fall at the Langley Pond dam, causing County officials to shut down the pond, not the park, to investigate and fix what caused the dam to leak. The pond itself is still closed to the public, and likely won't reopen for water competitions until next year. Van der Linden hopes that despite the closure, residents will visit the park and partake in its other facilities. The County does have more plans to improve the park. Van der Linden said the next phase of development is underway, after the County was awarded the Undiscovered South Carolina grant from the S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism department to build a "crucial" finish line tower at the eastern end of the pond, which the County hopes will attract major rowing events and serve as a multipurpose building for meetings and group organizations.
Because the pond's water level is down several feet, the County is going to remove stumps in the pond that create safety issues. Van der Linden has also started discussions with disc golf course designers to install a championship level disc golf course at the park, and there are plans to relocate the existing playground to make room for a handicapped-accessible playground.
"Finally, we are 90 percent complete with the design of a new road that will link the park to Aiken-Augusta Highway," he said. "The road will open up tremendous economic development opportunities around Aiken Technical College that we hope will work in conjunction with our park facilities."
Langley Park is located at 113 Langley Dam Road.
Harrison-Caver and Roy Warner parks
The Harrison-Caver Park, 4181 Augusta Road, is one that van der Linden holds close, as it was where he held his first job out of college.
"I quickly learned how important this park is for the community," he said. "It services a large population of folks that have been coming to the park their entire lives, and the park offers a variety of leisure activities for everyone."
The park includes a playground, tennis and basketball courts, which were recently resurfaced, soccer and softball fields, a basketball court, community building, greenspace and a walking track. The park also includes the last stop on the Horse Creek Water Trail, which is still closed due to ongoing Langley Pond dam repairs.
Going forward, the County plans to add an outdoor picnic shelter, a dog park adjacent to the community center and lights.
Wagener's Roy Warner Park, 4287 Festival Trail Road, has recently received new fencing and needed updates to bathrooms and its concession stand. Its basketball court will be resurfaced this month, and new backboards also will be added.
Van der Linden said big plans are underway for the park as part of the Capital Project Sales Tax program. He said a formal bid will go out in June for the addition of a new park entrance, parking lot, concession stand with bathrooms, a maintenance building, irrigation system and a football field.
Recreational Center and Boyd Pond Park
One of van der Linden's top priorities this year is to change the overall look of the County Rec Center, 917 Jefferson Davis Highway, "not only for curb appeal" but also for "functionality," he said.
He said wooden fencing has been installed, and both basketball courts have been resurfaced and enclosed by new metal fencing. Thanks to an Eagle Scout project, the once closed-off Sand River at the park's rear is now visible from the center's park benches. The County has also partnered with the S.C. Bluebird Society to add several bird boxes around the park, which have already produced several hatchings.
Van der Linden said the County is in the process of also looking to replace the swimming pool and the bath house by the end of the 2015 swim season.
"The pool at the Aiken County Recreation Center was once one of the few public swimming pools in Aiken County," van der Linden said. "The African-American population of Aiken County didn't have many public swimming options in the 1950s and '60s, but the Rec Center was a very popular place for minorities in and around Graniteville. There is a lot of history in this park, including a park keeper's home that currently sits hidden behind the pool house."
Boyd Pond Park, 373 Boyd Pond Road, can be difficult to manage, as it is 300 acres with only one person overseeing the park, van der Linden sad.
Many of the recent improvements to the park have included safety features, such as cameras to keep crime away. Van der Linden said in the future, the park is set to receive an equestrian trail and improvements to its mountain bike trail. That project will be funded by the Greater Aiken Integrated Trails Foundation.
"We have recently been awarded an accommodation's tax grant to begin a natural amphitheater project to encourage educational programs and events to come to Boyd Pond Park, and we will be shifting the athletic fields of the park to one location to clearly identify sections of the park."
The larger parks aren't the only locations to which the County is paying attention, van der Linden said. Staff also are making improvements to several other satellite parks in the County, including fixing erosion issues with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources at Jackson Boat Landing and adding additions and improvements to Gloverville, Weaver, Spider-Webb and Thomas parks.
To keep up with the Aiken County Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department, like the Facebook page at on.fb.me/1HLRqdo, or follow the department on Twitter @AikenCountyPRT.
Maayan Schechter is the local government reporter with Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @MaayanSchechter.